The Boldness behind Promotion

Promoting your business is both exciting and challenging, as you communicate your message, incentivize customers, and grow your brand. You have outlined your intentions for direct marketing, personal selling, advertising, and sponsorships as part of your strategic promotion plan.

So what’s holding you up? Is "impostor syndrome" lurking in the background? Have saboters questioned your abilities? Let's start with an emotion that could lend a boost to your efforts to move forward with your plans: boldness.

Boldness means taking action despite obstacles – both tangible and intangible. According to William Hutchinson Murray, Scottish author and mountaineer, “Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” 

As you transform to being a -preneur or leader, there may be times when you feel awkward,  embarrassed, or, perhaps, rejected by your tribe. For one aspiring entrepreneur, her spouse directed her not to use their friends and family for practice or to make sales. Situations like that remind us that assumptions about who will support your efforts, contribute to your aspirations, and be beside you in your journey, need to be closely examined and not taken for granted. Thus, being bold is having the courage to engage in unique opportunities to “think outside of the box”; to prioritize, combine, and create new values and beliefs you didn’t even know you had; to be the author of your own reality – “to look at ourselves as a source of internal authority.” (Immunity to Change, p. 53)

Consider planning for strategic boldness.  While making cold calls, for example, may not be high on your promotion list, Donna Smith, vice president and bank branch manager, suggests that being strategic in selecting your connections, asking permission once the person answers the call, and being real in your interaction may well alleviate your anxiety and  avoidance with this form of bold promotion.

Curious about how boldness plays a role in promoting your businesss and being the CEO of your success? A companion discussion session will be provided during Lunch & Launch on Friday, April 24, 12-1:00 pm, on Zoom: "Be Bold! Be the CEO You Were Meant to Be". Sponsored by CC Robinson & Associates, registration and Zoom link is available through www.ccrobinsonassociates.com.

Author Carol C. Robinson is appreciative of attendees at The Sully Leadshare (April 5, 2023), Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce, for their contributions to this topic: Cheryl Brunner, Netta Chiorello, Tammy Meyer, Syed Saleem, Donna Smith, Kathy Steinman, Mike Williams, and guest Craig Cibak.